I-40 ramp to I-540 to close over Labor Day weekend

Westbound Interstate 540 traffic tries to merge into traffic at the Six Forks Road on-ramp in this 2016 file photo. The eastbound I-40 ramp to I-540 near Raleigh-Durham International Airport will be closed over Labor Day weekend for repairs. Harry Lynchhlynch@newsobserver.com

Westbound Interstate 540 traffic tries to merge into traffic at the Six Forks Road on-ramp in this 2016 file photo. The eastbound I-40 ramp to I-540 near Raleigh-Durham International Airport will be closed over Labor Day weekend for repairs. Harry Lynchhlynch@newsobserver.com

DURHAM

Drivers on eastbound Interstate 40 who want to get on I-540 near Raleigh-Durham International Airport over the long Labor Day weekend will need to take a detour.

The N.C. Department of Transportation will close the flyover ramp from I-40 to eastbound I-540 from 10 p.m. Friday, Sept. 1, through 7 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 5. NCDOT says the closure is necessary so workers can replace two joints on the bridge, and says it’s possible the contractor could finish early and reopen the ramp sooner.

NCDOT closed the same ramp over the July 4 weekend for road work. It says it chose holiday weekends to avoid messing up commuter traffic.

There are at least four options for getting from eastbound I-40 to eastbound I-540. They include:

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▪ Take Exit 279 onto southbound N.C. 147, and then take Exit 1 onto I-540 East. That is part of the Triangle Expressway, but tolls for that stretch of N.C. 147 will be waived while the I-40 ramp is closed.

▪ Take Exit 283 onto I-540 West to Exit 69 at N.C. 54, then make a left turn at the light and then another left turn onto I-540 East.

▪ Take Exit 285 onto Aviation Parkway and turn left toward the airport and I-540 East.

Workers will be replacing two joints, or flexible seals, that prevent water, dirt and debris from getting between sections of the bridge. The flyover bridge is 22 years old, and the seals need replacing because of normal wear, according to NCDOT.

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